Abstract
<i>Background</i>: Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) activities serve as an important platform for the implementation of child survival interventions to reduce malnutrition, infectious diseases and death among children. In recent times, there has been a steady decline in GMP outcome indicators in the Lawra district. The appropriate practices of GMP help in improving knowledge, attitudes and practices of caregivers towards child nutrition and health. Therefore, this study seeks to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of growth monitoring and promotion and associated factors among caregivers. <i>Methods</i>: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to study 300 caregivers’. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the participants. A semi-structured questionnaire applying face to face interview approach was used to collect data from participants. Descriptive statistics and associations between dependent and independent variables were done using Pearson chi-square and logistic regression analysis. <i>Results</i>: The results indicated 53% of the caregivers’ with good (high) knowledge in Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) activities, 98% with good (high) attitudes towards GMP activities and 70% with good (high) practices in GMP. Also, 16.2% of caregivers’ children had faltered in growth. Occupation was associated with knowledge (<i>p</i>=.013), and attitude (<i>p</i>=.014). Again, educational status (<i>p</i>=.026) was associated with knowledge in GMP, marital status (<i>p</i>=.009) and child relation with caregiver (<i>p</i>=.021) were associated with attitude in GMP. Also tribe (<i>p</i>=.019) and child relation with caregiver (<i>p</i>=.019) were significantly associated with practices in GMP. Conclusions: Notwithstanding the achievement in the coverage of GMP, implementation of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program and Information, Education and Communication (IE&C) activities in district, the findings on GMP outcome (knowledge and practice) is not satisfactorily. District Health Directorate need to intensify and strengthen IYCF activities, home visits, health education, and growth monitoring and promotion services.
Highlights
Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) is a session organized in a community or at a health facility where preventive services and promotional services are implemented to improve and maintain child health and nutrition, and linked the activity to other services like family planning and ante-natal services [1]
The associations indicated that caregivers with no education were 39.0% less likely to be associated with good knowledge in GMP than educated caregivers, caregivers with informal occupation were 85.0% less likely to be associated with good knowledge in GMP than those with formal occupation
Marital status and occupation were having significant associations with good attitude towards GMP; unmarried caregivers and those with informal occupation were 60.0% less likely and 4.4 times more likely to be associated with good attitudes in GMP than those married (Table 9)
Summary
Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) is a session organized in a community or at a health facility where preventive services and promotional services are implemented to improve and maintain child health and nutrition, and linked the activity to other services like family planning and ante-natal services [1]. Growth monitoring and promotion is expected to achieve the following results; increase adequate diet intake in children, improve child care practices among caregivers, increase need for health care services among caregivers, improve infection prevention and control diseases [2&4]. It helps in reducing child morbidity and mortality by using it as a contact points for other programs for child survival, growth and development [5,6]. Caregivers Age 15 - 25 26 - 35 46 - 65 Caregiver type Biological Mothers Non-biological mothers Marital status Married Not married Occupation Formal Informal Educational status Educated Not educated Religion Christians Non-Christians Tribe Dagaabas Others Knowledge in GMP
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